WHAT do you call a collection of Volvos? If it’s the 1574 examples of the Swedish maker’s finest, it’s called a World Record.

That’s how many gathered at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in the east Midlands to beat the previous record of 570 set in Poland – and far exceeded the organisers expectations.

The idea came about when a few Volvo fans decided to raise money for Breast Cancer Care after losing some friends to the disease. What they decided on was to beat the previous record set in 2010 for the greatest number of the Swedish marque's cars in a moving parade.

The Volvo World Record gathering at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire (Image: Al Suttie)

To begin with, the idea was mentioned among other enthusiasts and on Facebook, which is when it really began to take off and grab the imaginations of Volvo fans all over Europe.

In the run-up to the World Record attempt on March 31 at the former World War II airfield, it seemed there would be about 600 cars to justify the name of the project – Volvo600.

By the time of the record gathering, rural Leicestershire looked more like a district of Trollhattan in Sweden, where Volvos are built.

The Volvo World Record gathering at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire (Image: Al Suttie)

Everywhere you looked, there were Amazons, 122s, 240s, 850s and XCs galore. Every type of Volvo was there and soon estimates rose to more than 1000.

To qualify as part of the World Record attempt, drivers had to be inside Bruntingthorpe, which was chosen for its two-mile runway and connecting roads to deal with the lengthy parade.

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The Volvo World Record gathering at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire (Image: Al Suttie)

The gates opened at midday and there were queues as far as they eye could see of Scandinavia’s finest, including Road Record in a sleek new S90 saloon. This was the ideal transport for the drive down from Scotland as it’s smooth, economical and supremely comfortable.

It also attracted plenty of admiring looks and comments, which was quite an achievement given the sheer volume of rare and collectable Volvos converging on the venue. We met up with lots of other Scots who had decided to make the trip and be part of Volvo history.

Parking up for a coffee before heading to the event, we bumped into Bob Willison in his perfectly restored 122. Bob had driven down the day before from Cupar, Fife, without a hitch in his 50-year-old Swede.

The Volvo World Record gathering at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire (Image: Al Suttie)

He said: “It’s great to be part of something unique that’s raising money for a good cause. I’ve also had the chance to meet up with friends and like-minded fans, so it’s like a giant owners’ club meeting.”

Peter Kerr had travelled even further from Inverness in his modified 850 estate.

He said: “I’m just blown away by how many cars there are here. Everywhere you look, there are Volvos of every type and age. It’s fantastic that everyone has made the effort to come along and the atmosphere is brilliant.”

The Volvo World Record gathering at Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire (Image: Al Suttie)

Travelling down with Peter was Gordon Woodham in his S70 saloon. Like so many who made the trip, Gordon is a lifelong Volvo fan and said: “I wasn’t going to miss this event for anything.

“When I saw some of the people posting from Italy, Slovakia and even Greece that they were coming, driving down from Scotland didn’t seem like such a long way.”

It’s yet to be confirmed by Guinness World Records as the biggest parade of Volvos ever, but there are already plans to organise a bigger event to raise more money for charity and beat the UK’s own massive gathering.